Pathology
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Fetopathology and developmental pathology of the embryo and fetus
Marta Ježová, Josef Feit et al.
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+ Introduction
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+ Atlas of fetal pathology
Truncus arteriosus
Macroscopic appearance
  • a single arterial trunk arises from the base of the heart supplying the pulmonary, systemic and coronary arteries
  • the truncus overrides a large ventricular septal defect
  • truncal valve is tricuspid, the cusps are often thickened and dysplastic
Clinical signs
  • mixing of the systemic and pulmonary venous blood flow at the level of the truncus during systole
  • affected infants present in the first two months of life with heart failure, cyanosis is mild
  • truncal insufficiency is seen in 15% of the cases, its presence worsens the outcome of the surgical correction
  • rare defect, typical of Di George syndrome